REV DL. TALVAGES SERYON The Brooklyn Divine's Sunday Sermon, Subject: “The Brilllancy of Religion,” Texr: “The crystal cannot Pe ob xxviii, 7. ”r of equal qu Many of the precious stones of the Bibl have come to prompt recognition. But for be present I take up the less valuable crys gal. Job, in my text, compares saving wis dom with a speoimen of topaz. An infidel chemist or mineralogist would pronounce the latter worth more than the former, bul Job makes an intelligent comparison, looks iat religion and then es ab the crystal and nounces the former as of superior value fo the latter, exclaiming, in the words of my “faxt “The crystal cannot equal it.” Now, it is not a part of my sermonic de to depreciate the crystal, whether it be d js Cornish mine or Hartz mountain or mo ‘ave or tinkling am th dants of the chandeliers of a ao Fhe ‘erystal is the star of the mountain: it is the ; of the cave; it is the eardrop of the shille; it finds its heaven in the diamond. [uns all the pages of natural history there No page more interesting to me than the page crystallographic. But I want to show that Job was right when, taking religion one band and the crystal in the other, he inred that the former is of far more value A d beauty than the latter, recommending it to all tho people and to all the ages declar- "The cr) stal cannot equal it.” n the first place, I remark that religion is @mperior to the crystal in exactness. That whapaless mass vatal against which von aden your i ox8 than any earthly city. Mhere ae Bix vies of Crystalazation, an i all of them divinely ordained. Every crest al Bas mathematical precision, God's reometry § uga it, and it is a square, or itis ie, or it is a rhomboid, YING 1a mathematical figure, Now. wats that in the simple fact that y is mora beautiful than or in material exact God's la God's manage counting wrong, des, and th i sycles. His provideices never dealing with 1 rpend.cuiarly when those providencesought be obi 1 be vertical. Ev: g our life arrsn; without any possibility of mistake fife a six sided prism. Born at the rizut time dying at the right time. There are no “han. pen 50's” in our theology, If I thoucht this was aslipshod universe I would go crazy, God is not an anarcuiss, Law, order, sym. gnetry, precisic , & perfect square, a perfec wectangie, a perfect rhomboid, a perfect cir ele, The edge of God's robe of overnment pever frays out. There are nd, SOroOWs the world's machinery." It did not {ust ppen that Napoleon was attacked with in. estion at Borodin so that he became in- £2mpeteng for the day. It did not just hap- - that John Thomas, the missionary, on a eathen island, waiting for an outfit and orders for another missionary tour, recsived that outfit and those orders in a box that floated ashore, while the ship and the crew shat carried the box were never heard of The barking of F. W. Robertson's dog, he fells us, led to a line of events which brought him from the army into the Christian min. istry, where be served God with world re. nowned usefulness. It did not merely hap ee 50. 1 belisve in a particular providence believe God's geometry may be seen in all 29x life more beautifully than in erystallog- raph 3 Job was right. “The crystal cannot Again I remark that religion is superior to the crystal in transparency. We know not when or by whom glass was first dis covered. Beadsof it have been found in the tomb of Alexander Severus. Vases of it are trough up from the ruins of Herculaneum There were females adornments made out of it three thousand years ago—those adora- menty Found Pow attached to the mum. Bits ¢ I Pe God’s attributes Trig rything i 3 A great way Bairsen. tors believes that uy text means giase, d we do without the eryst al in the window to keep out yd let in the day; the watch defending its yot allowing us to see the hour, the crvst telescope, by brings distant world them. Oh, the fn the celebrated Salisbury But there is nothing so transparent rystal as in our boly re on. 1 arent religion. You put it to your eye an ou see man-—hissin, his soul, his destiny. fou look at God and you see someihing of It is a trans the grandeur of His coaracter, rent religion. Infidels tell us it is opaque? | you kuow why they tell us it is opaque! 18 is because they are blind, The natural Iman receiveth not the things of God because they ate spiritually discerned]. There is no rouble with the crystal; the trouble is with the eyes which try to look through it. We y for wisdom, Lord, that our eyes might popened. When the eye salve cures our blindness then we find that religion is trans parent. It is a transparent Bible. All the moun tains of the Bible come cut-—Siaal, the moun tain of the law; Pisgah, the mountain of pect; Olivet, the mountain of instruc : Calvary, the mountain of sacrifice. All she rivers of the Bible come out--Hidekel, or the river of paradisaical beauty; Jordan, or the river of holy chrism: Cherith, or the giver of prophetic supply; Nile, or the river of palaces, and the pure river of life from under the throne, clear as crystal While reading this Dible after our eyes have been touched by grace we find it all transparent, and the earth rocks, now with crucifizion ony and now with judgment terror, and Shrist appears in some of His two hundred and ffty-eix titles, asfar as | oan count them the bread, the rock, the captain, the com- mander, the conqueror, the star, and onand beyond any capacity of mine to rebéarse them, Transparent religion! The providence that seemed dark before becomes pellucid, Now you find God is not trying to put you down. Now you under stand why you lost that child, and why you lost your property: it was fo prepare you for eternal treasures. And why sickness came, it being the precursor of immortal fuvenescencs. And now you understand why they lied about you sud tried to drive ou hither and thither, It was to put you in the glorious eowpany of such men as Ignatios, who, when he went out to be de stroyed by the Hone, said: I am the wheat, and the teeth of the wild boasts must first grind me before I can become pare bread for Jesus Christ.” or the company of such men as FPolyearp, who, when standing io the midst of the amphitheatre waiting for the Hous to somes out of theif cave and destroy him, and the people in the gulleries jeering and shout mg: "Vhs lous for Foiyearp,” replied: ‘Let them come on,” and thea stooped down to ward the cave where the wild beasts werd roaring to got oul: “Let them come on.” Ah, yes, itis persecution to put you in gio rious company; and while there are many things that you will have to postpoas to the fatars world lor explanation, 1 tell you that it i Lie whole tendency of your religion to unravel and explain aud loterpret and ib famine and irrndinte, Jobwasright. ina glorious transparency. “The orystai cannot squal it.” i remark again that religion surpass the stil in its venuty. That lump of erystal Fat under the mageiiying glass of the erestallographer, end he sees in it indesorib- shies beantywmmowdritt and splinter of hoar frost and corals and wreaths and stars and crows aut castellations of | conspicuous beaaty. The fact is that erystal is wo beau- tiful that | oan think of but one thiog in ail the universe that is so beautiful, and that is the of the Bible, No wonder this p that on ax the day. Abie represen religi es 3 da $a aesicatle srt mot en Sma times? Ask that old man what he thin religion, He bas been a close observer, seen the sunrises of half a century, been an early riser, He has been religion, and he will tell you, beautiful thing I ayer saw.” cannot equal 16." Beautiful ip its symmetry, the guilty, ment it Implants? says it is a lly, of the sun, cedar, to fetch home a bride ~the topaz, and the sapphire chrysoprasus not equal it.” Meg Merrilos with sl soare the world, It is of God, heiress of all His wealth, pay come, and whosoover will lat him » you agree with Solomon and sav it is 3 Then pluck it and ar Do von acres wit aul and say y n lot this hour be your FOU Aagres Wit the At founta come to i vis with v f ION YOu ever unk with Job that it is a ¥ t on your band like a ring, oa your a bead, on your forehead like a 1, riv nt } reat on 18 00Ng Into ths mirror of God's Word i ackuowiedge “theerystal cannot equal on is superior to the orystal nations. The diamond is only of coal. Carbonate of 1i }oomes calcite or aragonite ito cubes and us. Those crystals which adorn our persons and our homes and our museums have only been resurrected from forms that were far from lustrous. Seclentists for ages bave been examining these wonderful trans. formations. But ltell you in the gospel of the Son of God there is a more wonderful transformation. Over souls by reason of sin black as coal and hard as iron God by His comforting grace stoops and says, “They shall be Mine in the day when I make up My jewels n “What” say you, “will God wear jewasl- If He wanted Ho could make the stars of heaven His belt and have the even- ng cloud for the sandals of His fest, but He loos not want that adornment. He will not bave that jewelry. When God wants jewel ry Hecomes down and digs tout of lepths and darkness of sin, These souls are ull erystallizsstionsof merey. He puts them m, and He wears thom in the presence of the aoly universe, Hoe wears them on the band that was nailed, over the heart that pierced, on the temples that were “They shall be Mina” saith the day when I make upiMy jewels” jsrful transformation! squal 8." treet, bat she shall There he ia, a sot preach the po pel me ~ " ry? the stang Won. There she Is be a sister of charity. in the ditch, but he shail There, behind bars of a prison, but he shall reign with Christ forever When sin abounded grace shall much more abound. The carbon becomes the solitaire. "The eryetal ennnot equal it.” Now, 1 have no liking for thos who are always enlarging in Christian inge about their early dissipation. o the partioulars i Ww o th wae my broth a spiny k in trade lan workers seem und dissipations. The 0 picked and the number of wa stole ks very poor prayer meeting rhetoric Besides thas it diso ages other Christian ry ink or stole anything Hut it i= pleasant to know that those ive been brought high wit up roal serfdom into eternal Hborty. Out of darkness into light. From soa! to the solitaire, “The crystal cannot squad 18.” But, my friends, the chisf transforming nsower of the gospel will not be seen in this world, and not until heaven breaks ip sa thes soul. When that light falls upon the soul then you will ses the crystals. Oh, what a magnificent setting for these jowels of etern. ity! I gumetimes hear people enting héaven in & way that is far from attractive to me. It sessus almost a vulgar heaven as they represent it, with t blotches of solor and bands of mastic making a deafening racket. John vonts heaven as exquisite ly beautiful. Three erystals. In one place he says, ‘Her light was like a precions stone, clear as crystal.” In another piace he says, “] saw a pure river from under the throne, clsar as crystal.” . In another pinos he says, “Before the throne thers wae a sea of glass clear as crys tal.” Three orystals! John says crystal at mosphere, That means health, mm of eternal June What weather after the world's sast wind! No rack of storm clouds. One breath of that air will cure the worst tubercles. Crystal light on all the leaves, people who never § were farthes Cut of inf temples. Crystal light tossing in the plumes of the equestrians of heaven on white horses. But “the crystal cannot equal it.” Jobn says orystal river. That means joy. Deep and ever rolling. Not one drop of the Thames or the Hudson or the Rhine to soil it. Not one tear of human sorrow to imbit- ter it. Crywial, the rain out of which it was made. Crystal, the bed over which it shall roll and ripple. Crystal, its infinite surface. But “theorystal cannot equal it.” John says erystal sea, That means multitudinously vast, Vast in rapture. son, deep as the sea, strong as the ssa, ever changing as the sea, Billows of light. BI). lows of beauty, blues with skies that were never clouded wore never Tathomed, Arctics ang Antaro- Pacifics in crystalline magnifioonce. Three river; erystal river rolling into a orystal pea. But “the crystal caonot equal ie” “Oh” says somes one, putting his band over his eyes, “can it be that boon in #0 much sin and trouble will ever come to thoes ervelels™ Yes, It may be it will be, Heaven we must have, whatever fo get it. “How much must 1 pay for 8% you say. You will pay for it just as much as the coal pays to become the diamond, sine will chimnge than stone, for heart of 1 am to do nothing.” My Urother, it the ng's banquet, it is the joy of the ; : apple blossoms, as ! a A . § befouled by our touch, ~The on at all, Give sin a full chance In your heart and be downward ine Instead of a crystal is In the days of Carthage a condemned to dis for her stead of upward, itch and filled with combustibles and set on | fire, and the Christian girl was placed in the | shore of heaven. Bin wants to put you in a flery boat and potion—off o flags that would of death, O, m brother, you must either kill sin or sin kill you, It is no wild Tremendous choles! A thousand people are : on, between light and darkness, be | tween heaven and hell, between charred ruin snd glorious crystallization. | A Miraculous City. { Until the end of 1886, writes a corre. nesburg, Bouth Africa, could not boast a postoflice. Now it has a population of some 20,000, motley unaer } comprised of a from every nation through the the town soon a walk ftregts of { the sun, as i built There in the country stone is the original Boer « TOU rh of mi of dress, wit ank hai master of seen: the | solid of build { Arab merchant the coast, and ever { Malays and Hindoo | found their way from ubiquitous Chinaman, who | pearance everywhere in new count where there is a livelihood to be up by odd jobs. We have, too, i specimens of the Hebrew broker and of the stranded actor, shabby and discon- solate. One too, Kaffir ladies, dressed more or less after fashions in finery of | while, of course, bushman meets, gorgeous hues; house. boys one or two wandering minstrels, who { their black {aces to nature, not to burnt | cork, with their marimba or piano, a species of instrament common to many African tribes——really a kind of harmon. fcon, strips of bard wood place of glasses, with gourds beneath to increase the The African manage somehow to produce eis taking resonance. minstrels tunes that, though quaint, are catching. —— I SS Attar of Roses. Tradition hath it was fit used that attar of roses by Nourjehan, Moore's Nourmahal, otherwise ‘Light of the Harem.” Walking one day in her garden, through which ran a canal of rosewater, she spied upon its surface oily particles that excited her curiosity. In sheer idleness she collected them; found frazrant that she at A519 A 43 wikd them so delicic the result of her the once crisd for more, setting up = Yesa A husband's new industry among loyal subjects, Onee precious essence was worlh its weight in diamonds; now it fetches but $5 ounce. Turkey supplies the most and purest tof it. That which comes from India is usually adaiterated with oil of { gram, Bulgaria { i | rose garden. There, upon the long, cool | north hill slopes he plants the hundred leaf rose and tends it assiduously. The i plant is fickle and capricious as any | coquette. Upon one hill it will bloom i and broaden magnificently, yet wholly | Jack scent, while on another not half a { mile away it will fairly intoxicate you | with its perfume. May is the time of harvest. Then | there are flowers by the million. They | must be picked before sunrise, as soon as | they open, else they lose more than half | their sweetness. { The leaves are put into clay stills with | twice their own weight of water. What | passes over is the rosewater of commerce, | The attar floats on top in oily globules | that are hardened by exposure to the cool | night air, then skimmed off. Sixty | pounds of good leaves will yield an ounce | of sttar,-~-San Francisco Esaminer, A Mummified Rat. It was only a rat. Bul it ww an on- | commonly wonderful rat. It was the | mummy of a rat, and no one knows how many ages ago it made the feminine | Toltec wish she were somewhere else. i It was a real Toltes rodent, for it came { from the eastern side of the Slerrh Madre | Mountains in Mexico, and about 200 {miles south of Deming. A Mexican | archmologist while traveling between | Corralitos and Casas Grandes came across n hermetically sealed cave at an elevation of nearly 7000 fect. The cave was vast in extent and proved to be a veritable sepulchre filled with the mummified bodies of dead Toltecs. Among thom was the well-preserved body of arodent, The flesh had not sunken much upon the bones and was in an excellent state of preservation. It has a dark brown ap- ‘pearance. In size it does not differ from a plain, ordinary, everyday mt. Bat it is, just the same, and it is on exhibition iin the room of the Mining Bareau, The floor of the cave in which ths dis. covery was made was as smooth as a {board, but the sides were rough and ragged and the vault was covered with gtalactitios, —8an Francis Eraminer, A Frog Farmer. 0. 1. Carpenter, of Gaylord, Mich., ' {has bought a wection of land which be Twill make into a § g farm. It is in the {southern end ot oe County, and containg several marshy lakes. has emon . grentost THE CORPSE MOVED, And the Story of It Sent Four Victims to Hang. Law reports of the sixteenth ‘and seventeenth centuries contain numer. pus references to supernatural occur- ences in the court and on the scaffold, One of the most remarkable records of ibis kind is connected with a murder irinl which took place in England early in the reign of the first Charles. Sir John Maynard, one of the first lawyers of the century, is the author- ity for the supernatural events of the trial, and in his quaint preface to his notes he says he ‘thought good to re- port the evidence which was given, which many did hear that the memory thereof might not be lost by mis- carriage of papers otherwise.” One Johan Norkett, a farmer's wife, had died, and at the coroner's ‘quest evidence was given proving that the woman's throat had been cut from ear to ear. At first the jury favored a verdict of felo de se, and the body was interred. int rumors became general pointing to foul play, and the body was axhumed. Thirty days after the death the jury 3 § x fre the body and four sWoal Hi GQOWE Or and Lh thrus er tar and likewise arriage fi fries and pulled it in again, the Hager dropped blood on the grou wo . fu - ¥ } Ahturall 10Ug scan ren Katie ani idence as U wns with received * STC ot 2 suspicion by the court, although ww On We wWilness, WO agai Sar Mayoar i “Yas 5 about 70 years Re, His testimony tempers oF i gang t unsRedd, gravely anc BGI great iMPAartia forthe oming hanged the prisoners were hand of § of them suff tho vit hor 0 common ¢ victims, Of in aged A DREAM DID IT. How a Murderer Was Caught and Convicted. In 17561 an Irish murde ar WAS ©On- evidences, «1 Rogers dreamed ae saw one nig a man murder another man on a green spot on the summit of an adjoin tain. He was next day to scribe both men with perfect accuracy and did so to many of his friends. One of the men was exceptionally strong, the other weak and puny, but it was the latter who, in the vision committed the murder. Rodgers persuaded the parish priest to accompany him to the spot, which hie found without difficulty but there seemed 10 be no traces of murder or struggle. Hence Rogers got rather laughed at. Next day how- ever {two mon entered the saloon, and Mrs. Rodgers at once recognized them from her husband's description as the heroes in the vision. Much alarmed, she fetched hor husband, who was also certain they were the two men. When they rose to leave Rogers begged the one he expected to be murderad 10 re- main, but without avail. He nearly fainted with fright after the men had left, and finally persuaded a neighbor to sccompany him to the green spot on the hill, where sure enough, the tragedy of the dream had taken pisce in reality. The murderer was tracked and caught and Rogers was the ‘principal witness. His recital of his dream was so vivid that the prisioner al onoe oon» fossed, adding that he killed his com. panion ezactly as foretold in the dream. The weapon used was a knile, and as eight stabs were seen by Rogers in his vision, so the murderer admitted that he drove his knife up % the hand- le in his companion’s bady exacily that number of times. A IW 50 A ing moun- able de- Politeness vs. Policy. Lawyer (entering cell): “How are you feeling this morning P' Murderess: “Vary well, thauk you" Lawyer (furiously): “Very well? What the deuce do you mean by having such brutal, rugged, good health when you know that your life depends on your delicate condition? BL AAI WS SAA, A Lucky Prisoner. “Old Lawyer: ‘1 ean not take your case. Clrecumstantial evidence is wo possible to prove your innocszon™ Prisoner: “But I am not innocent. — SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON. EUNDAY, MAY & 1891 Israel Often Reproved, LESSON TEXT (Amos 4 : 4.18, Memory verses: 88) LESSON PLAR. Toric oy JUARTER: and Serving. Goroex Texr ron THE QUARTER: Godliness is profitable unto all things, ~1%im. 4:8 THE Sinning Lesson Torio : Without Amendment, Reproof 1. Israel's Iniquities, vs. 4, H:1l.e.v8. 8 811, Israel's Eeproofs, vs, 8 Israel's Fenalties, vs. 12, 13, Gorpex Texr: He. that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that with- out remedy.—¥Prov., 49 : 1. Day Howe Ih M.—- Amos 4: reproved. T.eAmos § Iarsel W.—1 Kings 12 : 25-83. at Beth-el, Prov ADINGS : 4-13. Israel often : 1-15. Wrath toward | The sin} for Penalty 5 614 i § Li} ¥ i. Idols Wor Come fo Poth- Go and ery have { bor He net the pee ple 14 « hy Lr And this thing 18 : 34. My boly name shall ye no more pro- | fane.... with your idols (Ezek. 20 : ad, ® IH. Transgressions Multiplied: Come $0 Gilgal, transgression (4). Amon tre Chron. 3 3). He. ...multiplieth his God (Job 54 Our transgrossion fore thee Thon hast snd multiply | passed more and more (2 | words soainst | multiplied be- 18a : multiplied ek. 16 : 51 Return Refu:s thine abomina- Yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord (11). ; They have refused to return (Jer. 5: | 3 he Yet he turned not to Lord (Hap. 2:17). But vo say, Wherein shall we return? (Mal 3: 7 Yet they have Lord their God (Ho i. “Come to Bot trans. gress,” {1 DOCIIngE pormissl sin; (4; Actual ’ HD saith the . me, not returned unto the : 10 Lato conucmnation of 2. “For this liketh you, O ye el dren of Israel.” 1) Israel's wro preferences; (2) Jehovah's com- plete knowledge; &) Jehova pointed accusation. 3. "Yet have ye not me, saith the Lord” (1) lsrael's departure; (2) lsrael’s persistence; (3; Jehovah's lament. returned unto Il. IKBARL'S REPROGES. Il. Reproved by Famine: I also have given you bread (6. The Lord hath called for a famine (2 King- & 1). They are gaunt with want and famine | iJob 830: 33, I will send a famine in the land 8: 11). There arose a mighty famine in that country (Luke 15: 14). il. Reproved by Pestilence: I have sent among you the pesti. lence (10), I bad... s;itten thee and thy people with pestilence (Exod. 9: 15), The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee (Deut. 28: 21), He. .. gave their life over to the pesti- | lence (Psa. 78: 50). 1 have punished Jernsalem....by the famine Jer. 44: 13), Ii. Reproved by Calamity: I have overthrown some,....as... Sodom and Gomorrah (11). The day of their calamity is at hand {Deut. 83: 3b). 1 also will langh in the day of your calamity (Prov. 1: 26). The day of their calamity is come (Jer. 46: 21) Shall evil befall a city, and the Lord hath not done it? (Amos 3: 6), 1. “I also have given you cleanness of teeth.” (1) A sinning people; (2) Av angry God; (8) A severe penalty.—(1) Sin; (2) Salfering. 2. *1 have smitten yon with blasting and mildew.” (1) God the object of sin; (2) Nature the instrument of penalty; (3) Man the recipient of wo. : 8. “Yo wore as a brand picked out of the burning.” a The fires of penalty; (2) The deliverance of grace; h— imperiled brand;(2) Lhe saved 1, TERARL'S PENALTING 1. Penalties Assured: + WERE « {Amos | This will I do unto thes, O Israel (12 thou die (Gen, 2:17 The Real hak sanei, i shall die Thor aball 40 + into eternal pun- Thm Lodi The of mn is ( 6:28), a2). a———————— . -— Bet thine hons® ts order; for thou shal die (2 Kings 20.: 1), Kins the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish (Psa. 2 : 12), Beek the Lord while hie may be found (Ina. 55 : 6), 4 Repent yo; for the kingdom of Lesven is at Land (Matt, 8 - 25. HL Jehovah Presented: The Lord, the God of hosts, is his name (13), I sm thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward (Gen, 15 : 1). God said unto Moses, I am thet I sm (Exod. 8 : 14), 1 am the Lord, that doeth sll these things (Ira. 45 : 7). God is love (1 John 4 : 16). 1 “Therefore thus will 1 do nate thee, O Israel.” (1) I'he objec s of God's threa'enings: (21 The grounds of God's threatenings; (3) I'he seope of God's threatenings. 2. “Prepare to meet thy God, ©O Israel” (1; An appointed meet- ing; (2) A required preparation, (1; God must be wet; (2; Prepara- tion must be had. « “The Lord, the (hod of hosts, 8 hig name * 1) A name of unspeak- fie oa O gignifican m II. 3 Azarish had as king of lasrael, fore, that Jonah wad 8 came into Isrself ferred to in Amos Josephus, occurred e a leper (2 Kings punishment for his sttempt burp incense 'n the sempie 2 Chron, 26 : 16-21). Reference is made fo this earthquake in Zechariah 14 : 5; but its i position an the reign of cannot be determined. The noticed is that Israel god ving wh #111 1 Feiil 33 he earthqu : i, BOOT] wen Uzziah D:D, Asn Uzziah ft 30 In pin ' erous (2 Kings 14 : 25, IB), and that Judah 2lso had made conquests 26:5-15). In Chron his pr phoeeit #. ae book tells us that Amos diman of Tekos (Amos 1: 1); r prophet, nor “one of the prookets” ised We 1 Amos 7 : 14, langnage of his prophecies this account of his early He was divinely eslied fo go northern kingdom, sinst Israel. While ces aroused the enm- ; the priest in charge of s worship there. Amaziab Jeroboam of stirring le the prog Let re. AUSWEr WES 8 Pro. igment upon Amaziah, eam, and Isracl. It seems prob- , however, that Amos did return te koa, and the prophecy may have been put into writing after this return. The book opens with » description of the prophet {Amos 1:1), and of the a) Judah nor Israel will escape, though the threatenings against Israel are most severe (Amos 1 : 8 10 2 : 16). The main of the sins of Israel, of which the les Praces.—Tekoa, the home of Amos, was a small town in Judah, five miles south of Bethlehem, twelve miles from Jerusalem (now called Tekua), It ne mentioned several times in the Old Testament, and gave the name $0 s wilderness on the borders of which if ome, the fifth century, and also as late as the fourteenth century. Beth-el has been frequently referred to in the Old Testament lessons. Its importance was due to the worship of the golden calf set up there by Jeroboam I. (] Kings 12. 20.33). Gilga! is also named; but it is nnoertain whether this was the Gilgal where Samuel judged, or the place mentioned in 2 Kings 2 as the seat of a school of the prophets. The latter was nearer Beth-el, and more likely to be the seat of idolatrons wor- ship. 1t is now called *Jiljiha” (vee Lesson Surroundings for February 15, 1881). Tran According to the usual chron. ology, Uzmah's reign extended from B. C. B10 to 758, and that of Jeroboam il. from B. C. 825610 784. Accordingly, the date of Amos is fixed at about B. C, 787. The tims of Uzziah's becoming a leper is Sires in the margin of our Eunglist Bibles as about B, C. 765, This date does not admit of the view that the earthquake occurred at the same time. Davis places the earths quake about B. C, 750, end Uszish's rosy af the sama time. hie lesson is largely a recounting of the cotuing judgniaiy of God on Isrs ol. These id have led to repent. ance; but the relrain is, *‘¥et have not returved unto me, saith the In verses 12 and 13 there is a brief declaration of farther , and ( power over nw Drought From Wales 1088, - The #t church in the world is Sant Jet Ventnor, Tse of Y
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